Pump structure



f/VVENTORS.- 5v? L. C. BLOMEKE ETAL PUMP STRUCTURE Filed June 19, 1961 :55M @dffyz y haw/mam /WM ATTORNEYS. I

June 25, 1963 lllllllln Illlllul.

This invention relates to a pump structure designed for low cost production, and one of the contributing features is a single tube exterior construction within which is mounted a pneumatic motor and a fluid pump with a separation chamber between the two.

One object of the invention is to provide a single supporting tube having means at one end for connecting the same to the upper end of a drum containing grease, oil, paint or the like so that a suction hose may depend therefrom to the bottom of the drum, and the other end projects upwardly from the top of the drum, the supporting tube having air inlet and fluid outlet connections in the side thereof for connection of a compressed air supply hose to the pneumatic motor in the tube and -a discharge hose from the fluid pump therein.

Another object is to provide a simpliiied construction in which a pair of plugs deiine the pneumatic motor, the pump and the separation chamber, and the plugs are positioned by nipples extending therefrom and through the side of the supporting tube.

A `further object is to provide an air motor having a novel valving arrangement located in the air piston thereof for driving the piston iirst in one direction and then the other.

Still a further object is to provide a iluid pump comprising a piston driven by the air motor, and the construction of the parts being such that iluid is displaced both on the up stroke and on the down -stroke of the piston whereby a substantially constant flow of fluid is had.

With these and other objects in View, our invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of Ithe various parts of our pump structure, whereby the objects above contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in our claims and illustrated in detail on the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of our pump structure showing it mounted on a drum.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional View showing the parts in one position and showing details of construction of our pump structure.

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 3 3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional View similar to the bracketed upper portion 4 of FIG. 2 showing the parts in a different position during operation; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional View similar to the bracketed lower portion 5 of FIG. 2 and also shows the parts in a different position during operation.

On the accompanying drawing, we have used the reference number to indicate in general a supporting tube. The tube 10 forms the exterior of our pump structure. It has a check valve fitting 12 screwed on its lower end and a cap 14 screwed on its upper end as shown in FIG. 2. A pair of plugs 16 are located in the supporting tube 10 and held in located position by an -air nipple 18 and .a iluid nipple 20 which locate in bored holes in the side of the tube 10, and screw into the plugs 16. The plugs are sealed in relation to the interior wall of the supporting tube 10 by means of O-rings 22. Each plug 16 has a bore 24 therein for a purpose which will hereinafter appear. The

- plugs 16 divide the'supporting tube 10 into three chambers, an air chamber 28, a duid chamber 30 and a separation chamber 32 between the air and fluid chambers.

3,094,938 Patented June 25, 1963 i to@ the plugs 16 may be of identical construction for economy of manufacture.

The check valve fitting 12 at the lower end of the tube 10 has a nipple extension 34 on which an intake hose 36 is mounted to depend into a drum 38 as shown in FIG. 1 and terminate adjacent the bottom thereof. The drum has a boss 40 into which the check valve tting 12 is screwed for supporting the tube 10 in relation to the drum 38. In the fitting -12 a check valve 42 of ball type is shown and a check valve retainer 43.

A tubular piston rod `44 is slidable through the bores 24 of the plugs 16 and has loosely mounted thereon a fluid piston 46 of resilient material and somewhat cup-shaped as shown for efficient sealing of its periphery with respect to the inner wall of the iluid chamber 30. A port 47 extends through the piston 46. The piston is mounted on a reduced shank 52 of a plug 50 which closes the lower end of the tubular piston 44 and has a stop flange 54 the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. A cap screw 56 is threaded into the shank 52 and under the head of the screw a washer-like check valve 58 is positioned as illustrated.

An air piston 60 is mounted on -the upper end of the tubular piston rod 44 and is of cup-shaped resilient material molded over a metal insert 61. It is screwed into the upper end of a plug 62, having a vent passage 64 therethrough. The piston 60 has valve seats 66 surrounding the lower ends of three valve pin openings -67 extending through the piston, as illustrated in FIG. 3. On the upper surface of the piston 60 a valve seat 70 is formed surrounding the vent passageway 64. Valve disks 72 yand 74 are adapted to coact with the Valve seats 66 and 70 respectively, with three valve pins 76 extending between and attached to the two valve disks. A Valve spring 77 is provided to act upon the upper side of the valve disk 74, and a Valve spring 78 is provided to act upon the lower side of the valve disk 72. These springs also act as bumpers for the piston 60.

The tubular piston rod `44 is provided with a vent opening Si) and the supporting tube 10 is provided with vent openings 81 which are necessary for proper operation of the air pump as will hereinafter appear.

Referring to FIG. l a compressed air supply hose 82 is provided having a speed coupler S4 thereon to coact with the air nipple 1S. This air nipple may also include a manual shut-olf valve 19 of pet-cock type. A hose f1tting 86 screws onto the duid nipple 2t) and a uid hose 88 extends thererom to any convenient point of delivery,

Practical Operation ln the operation of our pump structure, when the parts are in the position of FIG. 2, air is lowing from the air nipple 1S as indicated by the arrow a. The valve disk 74 at the top of the air motor has been seated by compression of the spring 77 and accordingly air flows as indicated by the arrow b around the edge of the valve disk 72 and through the openings 67. It then flows as indicated by the arrow c around the edge of the valve disk 74 and into that portion of the air chamber 2S above the piston 60. Accordingly the piston will be driven downwardly as indicated by the arrow d and at this time there will be no air flow such as indicated by the dotted arrows h.

The downward motion d of the piston rod 44 has caused the ilange 54 to contact the liquid piston l46 because of the friction of the piston in its cylinder (tube 10) and the check valve 58 is spaced from the piston so that there is fluid flow around the edge of 5S and through the por-t 47 according to arrow k. This causes fluid to be displaced from the upper end of the fluid chamber 36 as indicated by the arrow e into the duid nipple 20, the fitting 86 and the fluid hose 8S. Since the external area of the piston rod 44 is approximately one-half the internal area of the supporting tube lil, a unit of fluid will be dis# placed on this downstroke by the piston rod 44 entering the upper end of the fluid chamber 3@ While that amount of fluid, plus the amount to be displaced upon the next stroke, is being displaced through the piston 46.

When the air piston 6@ reaches the lower end of its stroke (FIG. 4) the valve spring 78- willV close the valve disk '72 on its valve seats 66 and the pins 76 will thereupon separate the valve disk 74 from its valve seat 70 so that the air entering in accordance with the arrow a will then act upwardly on the piston 66 while the air in the air chamber 2S above the piston will be displaced around the edge of the dis-k '74 as indicated by the arrow g, through the vent passageway 64 (arrow j), and then to atmosphere (in accordance with the arrow h of FIG. 2). The piston rod 44 will at that time be moving upwardly in accordance with the arrow f, and the action of the Huid pump -will be as depicted in FIG. 5 at this time, the valve 5S being closed with respect to the port 47 and the check ball 42 being off its seat for drawing fluid in Ithrough the hose 36 into the iluid chamber 3l) below the piston i6 as the piston moves upwardly. The piston -will be displacing fluid in accordance with the arrow e of FIG. 2 at the before-mentioned unit rate of flow because of the piston rod 44 moving out of the fluid chamber 30. When the air piston 60 reaches the ftop of its stroke the valve disks 72 and 74 will be reversed in position as shown in FIG. 2 thus completing one cycle of operation. As long as compressed air is supplied to the fitting 18 the air motor will continue to automatically reciprocate and pump a substantially even ow of fluid from the hose 88.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of our pump structure without departing from the real spirit and purpose of our invention, and it is our intention to cover by our claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may reasonably be included within their scope.

We claim as our invention:

l. In a pump structure of the character described, a single, elongated supporting tube, a pair of spaced plugs therein dividing said tube into a lower fluid pump chamber, an upper air motor chamber and a separation chamber between said uid pump and air motor chambers, an air nipple through the wall of said supporting tube into said upper plug, an air motor in said air mot-or chamber actuated by compressed air supplied to said air nipple, a fluid nipple through the wall of said supporting tube into said lower plug, a fluid pump in said fluid pump chamber for delivering fluid to said uid nipple, a tubular piston rod connecting said fluid pump with said air motor and extending fthrough said plugs and said separation chamber, said air motor exhausting into said tubular piston rod, from said rod into said separation chamber and from said separation chamber to atmosphere, and means at lthe lower end of said supporting tube for mounting Ithe same on a container of fluid, said means having an intake conduit extending therefrom into such container.

2. In a pump structure of the character disclosed, a single supporting tube, a pair of spaced plugs therein dividing said tube into a lower fluid pump chamber, an upper air motor chamber and a separation chamber between said lluid pump and air motor chambers, an air motor in said air motor chamber, a uid pump in said fluid pump chamber, a tubular piston rod connecting said lluid pump with said air motor and extending through said plugs and said separation chamber, said air motor exhausting into said tubular piston rod, said rod having an exhaust port .to the interior of said separation chamber and said separation chamber having an exhaust port to atmosphere, and means at the lower end of said supporting tube for mounting the same on a container of fluid, said means having an intake conduit extending therefrom into such container.

3. In a pump structure of the character disclosed, a supporting tube, a pair of spaced plugs therein dividing said tube into a lower fluid pump chamber, an upper air motor chamber and a separation chamber between said uid pump and air motor chambers, an air motor in said air motor chamber, a fluid pump in said uid pump chamber, a tubular piston rod connecting said fluid pump with said air motor and extending through said plugs and said separation chamber, the upper one of said plugs receiving air and discharging it into said air motor chamber for operating said air motor, said air motor including a piston in said air motor chamber and automatically operated valve means carried thereby for introducing air alternately on opposite sides of said piston, said air motor having an exhaust discharging into said tubular piston rod, said separation chamber having ian exhaust port to atmosphere and said tubular piston rod having an exhaust port into said separation chamber, :and means ait the lower end of said supporting tube for mounting the same on a container of fluid.

4. In a pump structure of the character described, a supporting tube, a pair of spaced plugs therein dividing said tube into a lower fluid pump chamber, an upper air motor chamber and a separation chamber between said fluid pump and air motor chambers, an air nipple through the wall of said supporting tube into said upper plug, a passageway therefrom to said air motor chamber, an air motor in said air motor chamber actuated by compressed air supplied thereto from said passageway, said air motor comprising a piston in said air motor chamber and valve means carried thereby for alternately causing air to act on the lower and upper surfaces of said piston, a fluid nipple through the wall of said supporting tube into said lower plug, a iluid pump in said fluid pump chamber for delivering fluid to said fluid nipple, a tubular piston rod connecting said fluid pump `with said air motor and extending through said plugs and said separation chamber, said air motor having an exhaust discharging into said tubular piston rod, said separation chamber having an exhaust port to atmosphere and said tubular piston rod having an exhaust port into said separation chamber, and means 4at the lower end of said supporting tube for mounting the same on a container of iluid.

5. In a pump structure, a supporting tube, a pair of spaced plugs therein dividing said tube into a lower fluid pump chamber, an upper air motor chamber and a separation chamber between said lluid pump and air motor chambers, an air nipple through the wall of said supporting tube into said upper plug, a passageway therefrom into said air motor chamber, an air motor in said air motor chamber including an air piston therein actuated by compressed air supplied thereto from said passageway, valve means carried by said piston for causing such compressed air to act alternately on opposite surfaces of said piston, a fluid nipple through the wall of said supporting tube into said lower plug, a fluid pump in said fluid pump chamber including a fluid piston therein for delivering fluid to said fluid nipple, a tubular piston rod connecting said fluid pump with said air motor and extending through said plugs and said separation chamber, said tubular piston rod and said supporting tube having provisions to receive exhaust air from said air piston and discharge it through said rod and said separation chamber to atmosphere, and means at the lower end of said supporting tube for mounting the same on a container of Huid, said means having an intake conduit extending therefrom into such container.

6. A pump structure comprising a supporting tube, a pair of spaced plugs therein dividing said tube into a lower fluid pump chamber, ian upper air motor chamber and a separation chamber between said fluid pump and air motor chambers, an air motor in said air motor chamber comprising a piston, a piston rod connected thereto, said piston having a valve pin opening therethrough, a valve seat at the lower end of said opening, a valve disk therefor, said piston having a vent opening, a valve seat around the upper end thereof, a second valve disk therefor, a pin :through said valve pin opening for unseating one of said valve disks When the other one is seated and vice versa, said piston rod being tubular and the vent opening of sai-d piston communicating with the interior thereof, said piston rod having a vent opening constantly communicating Iwith said separation chamber and said supporting tube having a vent opening from said separation chamber to atmosphere, a iluid pump in said iluid pump chamber for delivering fluid from said supporting tube, said piston rod connecting said fluid pump with said air motor, and means at the'lower end of said supporting tube for mounting fthe same on a container of fluid.

7. In a pump structure of the character describe-d, a supporting tube, a pair of spaced plugs therein dividing said tube into la lower lluid pump chamber, an upper air motor chamber and a separation chamber between said fluid pump and air motor chambers, an air nipple through the wall of said supporting tube into said upper plug, an air motor in said air motor chamber actuated by compressed air supplied to said air nipple, said air motor comprising a piston having a valve pin opening therethrough, a valve seat at the lower end of said opening, a valve disk therefor, said piston having a vent opening, a valve seat around the upper end thereof, a second valve disk therefor, a pin through said valve pin opening for unseating one of said valve disks when the other one is seated and vice versa, a fluid nipple through the wall of said supporting tube into said lower plug, a iluid pump in said fluid pump chamber for delivering uid to said liuid nipple, a tubular piston rod connecting said iluid pump with said air motor and extending through said plugs and said separation chamber, said vent opening communicating with the interior of said tubular piston rod, said interior communicating with said separation chamber and said separation chamber communicating -with atmosphere, and means ait the lower end of said supporting tube for mounting the same on a container of fluid, said means having an intake conduit extending therefrom into such container.

8. In a pump structure of the character disclosed, a supporting tube, an air motor therein comprising a piston having a valve pin opening therethrough, a valve seat at 4the lower end of said opening, a valve disk therefor, said piston having a vent opening, a valve seat around the upper end thereof, a second valve disk therefor, a pin through said valve pin opening for unseating one of said valve plates when the other one is seated and vice versa, a fluid nipple through the wall of said supporting tube, a fluid pump in said supporting tube for delivering fluid to said fluid nipple, and a piston rod connecting said fluid pump with said air motor, said piston rod being hollow, said vent opening communicating therewith and means located between said air motor and said iluid pump for communicating said hollow piston rod to atmosphere.

9. In a pump structure, a supporting tube, a pair of spaced plugs therein dividing said tube into ya lower uid pump chamber, an upper air motor chamber and a separation chamber between said fluid pump and air -motor chambers, an air nipple through the wall of said supporting tube linto said upper plug, an air -motor in said motor chamber actuated by compressed air vsupplied to said air nipple and discharged into said air motor cylinder, la fluid nipple through the wall o-f said supporting tube into said lower plug, a Huid pump in said iiuid pump chamber for delivering uid to said iluid nipple, said fluid pump comprising a piston having a port therethrough, a valve disk `adapted to be seated with respect to the bottom of said port, an intake valve at the lower end of said supporting tube, said piston being slidably mounted for limited motion on the lower end of said piston rod whereby dow-nward movement thereof opens said valve with respect to said port and upward movement thereof closes the same, a tubular piston rod connecting said fluid pump with said air motor and extending through said plugs and said separation chamber, said air motor exhausting into said tubular piston rod, said tubular piston rod exhausting into said separation chamber and said separation chamber exhausting to atmosphere, and means at the lower end of said supporting tube for mounting the same on a container of fluid, said means having an intake conduit extending therefrom into such container.

l0. A pump structure comprising a single supporting tube, a pair of spaced plugs therein dividing said tube into a lower fluid pump chamber, an upper `air motor chamber and a separation chamber between said fluid pump and air motor chambers, an air nipple through the wall of said supporting tube into said upper plug, an air motor in said air motor chamber actuated by compressed air supplied through said air nipple and upper plug to said air rnotor chamber, a fluid pump in said fluid pump chamber, za tubular piston rod therefrom to lsaid air motor, said rod serving as an exhaust passageway for said air motor, said fluid pump comprising a piston having a port therethrough, a valve disk adapted to be seated with respect to the lower end of said port, an intake check valve at the lower end of said supporting tube, said piston being `slidably mounted for limited motion on the lower end of said piston rod whereby downward movement thereof opens said valve with respect to said port and upward movement thereof closes the same, a iiuid nipple through the wall of said supporting tube into said lower plug, said fluid pump delivering uid through said lower plug to said iluid nipple, said piston rod extending through said plugs and said separation chamber, and means at the lower end of said supporting tube for receiving fluid.

fll. In a pump structure of the character described, a supporting tube, a pair of spaced plugs therein dividing said tube into a lower fluid pump chamber, an upper air motor chamber `and a separation chamber between said fluid pump and air motor chambers, an air nipple through the wall of said supporting tube into said upper plug, an `air motor in said air motor chamber actuated by compressed air supplied to said air nipple, said air motor comprising a piston, a piston rod connected thereto having a va-lve pin opening therethrough, a valve seat at the lower end of said opening, a valve disk therefor, said piston having a vent opening, a valve seat around the upper end thereof, a second valve disk therefor, `a pin through said valve pin opening for unseating one cf said valve disks when the other one is seated and vice versa, said piston rod being tubular and the vent opening of said piston communicating with the interior thereof, said piston rod having a vent opening constantly communicating with said separation chamber and said supporting tube having a vent opening from said chamber, a iiuid nipple through the wall of said -supporting tube into said lower plug, a fluid pump in said fluid pump chamber for delivering fluid to said uid nipple, said uid pump comprising a fluid piston having a port therethrough, a valve disk adapted to be seated with respect to the bot-tom of said port, an intake check valve at the lower end of said supporting tube, said fluid piston being slidably mounted for limited motion on the lower end of said piston rod whereby downward movement thereof opens said valve disk with respect to said port and upward movement thereof closes the same, said piston rod extending through said plugs and said separation chamber, and means -at the lower end of said supporting tube for mounting the same on a container of iluid, said means having an intake conduit extending therefrom into such container.

12. In la pump structure, a supporting tube, an air motor in the upper end thereof, said air -motor comprising a pis-ton having a valve pin opening therethrough, a valve seat at the lower end of said opening, a valve disk therefor, said piston having a vent opening, a Valve seat around the upper end thereof, a second Valve disk therefor, a pin through said valve pin opening for unseating one of said valve disks when the other one is seated and vice versa,

said piston rod being tubular and the vent opening of said piston communicating with the interior thereof, said piston rod having a vent opening communicating with said separation chamber and said supporting tube having a vent opening from said chamber to atmosphere, a iiuid pump in the lower end of said supporting tube, said fluid pump `comprising a piston having an opening therethrough, a

'valve disk adapted to be seated with respect to the bottom of said opening, an intake check valve at the lower end of said supporting tube, a piston rod connecting said Huid pump with said 'air motor, and means at the lower end of said supporting tube for receiving fluid from a container.

13. in a pump structure, a supporting tube, a pair of spaced plugs therein dividing said tube into a lower fluid pump chamber, an upper air motor chamber and a separation chamber between said fluid pump and ai-r motor chambers, an air motor in said' air motor chamber cornprising a piston having an opening therethrough, a valve seat at the lower end of said opening, a valve disk therefor, said piston having a vent opening, a valve seat around 8 the upper end thereof, a secondl valve disk therefor, a pin through -said valve pin opening for unseating one of said Valve disks when the other one is seated and vice versa,

with the interior of said tubular piston rod and said interior communicating with yatmosphere between said air pump and said fluid pump, and means at the lower end of said supporting tube for mounting the same on a container of uid, said means having an intake conduit eX- tending therefrom into such container.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Davis Nov. 10, 1936 Rotter Nov. 15, 1938 Glasgow et al. July 5, 1960 

1. IN A PUMP STRUCTURE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, A SINGLE, ELONGATED SUPPORTING TUBE, A PAIR OF SPACED PLUGS THEREIN DIVIDING SAID TUBE INTO A LOWER FLUID PUMP CHAMBER, AN UPPER AIR MOTOR CHAMBER AND A SEPARATION CHAMBER BETWEEN SAID FLUID PUMP AND AIR MOTOR CHAMBERS, AN AIR NIPPLE THROUGH THE WALL OF SAID SUPPORTING TUBE INTO SAID UPPER PLUG, AN AIR MOTOR IN SAID AIR MOTOR CHAMBER ACTUATED BY COMPRESSED AIR SUPPLIED TO SAID AIR NIPPLE, A FLUID NIPPLE THROUGH THE WALL OF SAID SUPPORTING TUBE INTO SAID LOWER PLUG, A FLUID PUMP IN SAID FLUID PUMP CHAMBER FOR DELIVERING FLUID TO SAID FLUID NIPPLE, A TUBU- 